Organizational leadership plays a big role in an organization’s success. The organizational leader plays the role of establishing policies and programs with legal and ethical considerations. An organizational leader can give the importance of values and ethics and maintain standards in the organization. For this task, the ethical climate of an organization will be examined through the eyes of the organizational leader. Various ethical scenarios will be examined through an analysis of employee ethical rights and responsibilities.
Employees rights and responsibilities
The employee rights and responsibilities for the given scenario include a having a safe workplace, being treated fairly and equally, and freedom to carry out the employment or not. A safe workplace is a right that has been in operation right from the industrial revolution. The working environment of the employee should be clean, hospitable, and safe. Employers are responsible for ensuring that they can protect their employees by providing such a safe environment.
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A fair and equal treatment is one of the most integral factors for a healthy workplace environment. When people are treated fairly and equally, there will be equal protection and equal opportunities for everyone. People in the workplace will also be free from discrimination. Freedom should be accorded to the employee to work for the employer and terminate the employment at their own wish. The employer should not force anyone to work in case they choose to terminate the contract.
Ethical responsibilities described in the scenario
The employer has the ethical responsibility to let their employees know and understand their responsibilities within the organization. This responsibility is related to the scenario as it develops a session that teaches and trains the employees to know their roles and what they are expected to do. In case the employer does not state what is expected of the employees, they will not be able to perform based on the expectations of the employers. It would then be unethical to hold the employees to a standard they have not been informed about.
The employer has the ethical responsibility of allowing the employees to perform meaningful work and progress in their work. The employer is obligated both morally and ethically to allow the advancement of the employee. On the other hand, the employee is at liberty to make use of the opportunity presented or not. It would be unethical for the employer to prevent the employee from engaging in work that leads to a life which is fulfilling.
Ethical business dilemma that measures up to ethical standards
An example of an ethical dilemma is when the employee is trusted with the company’s credit card for business use. In one instance, the employee decides to go out for lunch with a few friends and chooses to pay for the lunch. The employee has the chance to use their own credit card or that of the company’s. The employee decides to use the credit card and later states that it was a business lunch with potential clients. The scenario presented is an ethical dilemma because the decision undertaken by the employee can undermine the trust established between the employer and the employee. Purchasing lunch using the company’s credit card would violate the trust and relationship developed between the employer and employee.
Evaluation of dilemma from a utilitarian and relativistic view
The utilitarian perspective observes an action as to whether it is most beneficial to a group or the society. Based on this perspective, the best course of action is one that is most beneficial to a larger group. It does not put emphasis if one individual gets hurt as long as the larger group benefits. The relativism perspective varies from one person to another depending on certain factors. The most ethical and moral decision will be one that is dependent on the perspective of an individual.
Looking at the scenario based on the utilitarianism, there is enough information to show that purchasing through the company’s credit card would be unethical. Such a purchase would lead to larger expenses for the company and can resultantly lead to financial turmoil. If purchases are made through the credit card repeatedly, the company would have financial turmoil in the near future and could decide to lay off some employees. The decision is unethical based on the utilitarian perspective because it would cause harm to the company profits and employees at large.
Purchasing through the company’s credit card is still unethical based on the relativistic view. Putting myself in the shoes of the employer, I will find that purchasing lunch for friends with the company’s credit cards as wrong. It betrays the trust and the employee may no longer be trusted with the company’s funds.
Common ethical decisions employees face in a corporate setting
An example of an ethical decision an employee may face is getting to work on time. An employee can undermine the employer’s interest by getting to work late. Getting late leads to wastage of time and a potential loss of clients by the company. While the employee might benefit from getting a good rest, it undermines the contract with the employer and thus unethical.
Another ethical decision that can be made by employees is that of full disclosure. When making any sales, one can push for the sale of a product at the expense of identifying potential flaws in the product. For instance, the sale and advertising of a new medical product should be made by identifying its side effects. In such a situation, employees should be provided with information which they should share about the product. The information should be presented in a written format and employees should go over what is expected of them.
Explanations of the ethical dilemmas and justifying unethical behavior
The ethical dilemma presented in the first scenario is unethical since the employee acts on their interests and not that of the company. Getting late makes use of the company time and is equal to stealing the company resources. The employee might justify their behavior by stating that they were late due to the persistent heavy traffic when coming to work. However, the employer and employee contract on the arrival time should be based regardless of the amount of traffic.
The second situation is an ethical dilemma since consumers of any product should make their decision based on full information about the pros and cons of a product. Not giving adequate information about a product in order to make a successful sale prevents the buyer from making the right choice. The employee would be acting on their own selfish interest and not that of the consumer. The employee can justify their behavior by stating that the only way to make a successful sale was by not giving enough information.
